A maths teacher who sent hundreds of emails to a pupil has denied his actions were sexually motivated.

Andrew Battle, 41, who taught at St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School, Cardiff, is accused of “unacceptable professional conduct” after messaging the pupil over a year.

The messages, which were described as “inappropriate” in volume and content, were discovered after Mr Battle left his emails open and another staff member saw them. Many were sent outside school hours and late at night.

In one Mr Battle asked the pupil – known as Pupil C – for a hug. He also asked to have private meetings in school, complimented her hair and when Pupil C said she had become attached to him, said: “I feel the same”.

Mr Battle also asked Pupil C to delete the messages he had sent so “no-one sees”.

An Education Workforce Council (EWC) Fitness to Practice hearing took place in Cardiff yesterday where Mr Battle faces being struck off from teaching.

Large number of emails

Presenting officer Patrick Llewellyn said: “On May 20, 2015, concerns were raised to deputy headteacher Ian Loynd about a large number of emails exchanged between Mr Battle and Pupil C.

"Mr Loynd began investigating these concerns and there was a police investigation. One charge of grooming was considered but the investigation did not reach the criminal threshold and no further police action was taken. At this point disciplinary action was taken by the school.”

Headteacher Ceri Weatherall told the hearing that during May 2015, Mr Battle had sent 490 emails to Pupil C, and on one occasion sent as many as 55 emails in a day.

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Ms Weatherall described the emails as being “not of a professional manner” nor “appropriate” and she was concerned by their frequency.

In one email, Pupil C asked Mr Battle: “Do you like pop music such as the Rolling Stone, Muse, or Arctic Monkeys?”

Mr Battle said: “Not really, I’d like to chill with you and listen to tunes.”

'I'd miss you'

Pupil C added: “You should arrange a pretend trip and I could come and listen to music with you,” to which he replied: “I would like that.”

In another exchange, Pupil C said she would consider moving schools because of Mr Battle, but then said this was a joke.

He said: “I just had a heart attack.”

When asked why by Pupil C, he said: “Because I’d miss you dummy. I’d miss you so much.”

In another conversation, Pupil C said: “I know it sounds silly but but I am attached to you.”

Mr Battle replied: “It’s not silly, I feel the same.”

The day before his emails were discovered, Mr Battle asked Pupil C to delete them.

Pupil C said: “Is it ok my mum doesn’t know? It’s just between you and me.”

Mr Battle said: “Sure, just delete the emails.”

Pupil C replied: “Shall I delete every email? Why?”

He said: “Just so no one sees.”

No sexual feelings

Ms Weatherall said Pupil C’s mother told her that her daughter “felt guilty” about what had happened and she had heard her crying regularly.

Mr Battle, who appeared at the hearing, admitted sending inappropriate emails to Pupil C between September 2014 and May 2015 and of asking Pupil C to delete the messages but he denied his actions were in any way sexually motivated.

Following his suspension, Mr Battle resigned and no longer has any involvement with the school.

Mr Battle said he was “looking out for Pupil C” and had talked to her about playing guitar after an assembly. He claimed she later sent him an audio file of her singing and playing guitar and this was how their email communication began.

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He claimed he had believed that Pupil C’s parents were aware of the conversation.

He added that he had no “sexual feelings” towards Pupil C. When Mr Battle discovered Pupil C had not told her parents about their email conversations, he said he “panicked”.

He said: “It was at this point I should have sought assistance from my line manager but I wrongly asked her to delete the emails. I am deeply sorry my actions caused distress to many people, including Pupil C and her family, colleagues from school and my family.

“I have been naive and stupid but I only acted with good intentions and I can assure the panel nothing like this will happen again.”